- April 18, 2024
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Flagler County Sheriff's Office deputies have arrested a 15-year-old Flagler Palm Coast High School student who witnesses said threatened to "shoot up" a group of kids at the school in an argument about seats at a lunch table.
"It takes a much bigger person to walk away and de-escalate the situation than to fight over something as stupid as a picnic table. I’m proud of the students that reported the threats and then de-escalated the situation."
— RICK STALY, Flagler County sheriff
The FCSO was notified by school authorities of the threat on Nov. 2.
A witness who was visibly upset told deputies that she'd been sitting at a table during lunch and overheard a male student mention something about a gun.
The student said she didn’t hear anything specific and wanted to mind her own business.
Another witness said he and several other students had placed their belongings on a picnic table outside the cafeteria, got their lunches, and returned to their table to see it occupied by another group of students.
The student asked the group to leave, since their stuff was already on the table, but the other students refused.
The students began arguing, and one student mentioned “something about a gun,” the witness said.
Another witness said that the group of students who took over their picnic table “got an attitude,” and that a male student then stated he was going to “shoot them up,” and provided an address for them to come to.
Another witness said the five boys who took over the table had cursed at the students who'd left their stuff there.
She said one of those boys mentioned “shooting” and provided his address.
She tried to de-escalate the situation by asking her group of friends to leave, and they did.
The students took the threat to school administration, and the suspect was identified.
He said there had been an argument and that a location was announced for them to meet after school to fight.
He said he did not recall any mention of a gun or threatening to “shoot them up.”
“This kind of behavior is unacceptable and we will investigate every threat in this county,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “Words have consequences, and behavior like this is not acceptable, especially in our schools. I am once again asking parents to be the sheriff of your home and help us prevent this. Talk to your kids about the seriousness of making threats and to choose their words carefully, as words have consequences under the law. Also, teach them the proper way to handle arguments, and making threats to do violence or planning a fight is not the solution. It takes a much bigger person to walk away and de-escalate the situation than to fight over something as stupid as a picnic table. I’m proud of the students that reported the threats and then de-escalated the situation. They did it right.”
The teen was arrested for threatening a shooting and was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility for processing and released to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice.
